Man die een mand op zijn hoofd draagt Possibly 1650 - 1654

Harmen ter Borch created this drawing of a man carrying a basket in the Netherlands sometime in the 17th century. Through his chosen subject matter, the artist draws our attention to the working classes in Dutch society. At this time, the Dutch Republic experienced a period of economic and cultural flourishing. Dutch merchants built vast trade networks, creating a wealthy merchant class. But this wealth relied on the labour of ordinary people, often rendered invisible in conventional history painting. Ter Borch’s sketch brings into focus the labour upon which Dutch society was built, and perhaps even critiques this social structure. The Dutch Golden Age produced many great artists, and institutions like the Rijksmuseum shape the way we understand this period today. But to truly understand the lives of people in the 17th century, it’s important to consult other sources, like archival documents and economic data, alongside the paintings and drawings displayed in museums.